Solar Eclipse Information

Eclipse 2017 Parent Information

The 2017 Eclipse Across America will happen on Monday, August 21st and the Gadsden City School teachers and students will have the opportunity to experience an extremely rare and awe inspiring event – a total solar eclipse. We will be using this “teachable moment” to increase the science literacy of our students.

Information For Parents

Gadsden is in the path of the eclipse. We will experience a 94% total solar eclipse. The eclipse will begin around lunch and last about 2 hours. The skies will gradually begin to darken as the moon moves into the path of the sun. Over time the sky it will become increasingly dark. Here in Gadsden, the near total eclipse will happen between around 1:30 PM. It will last just over 2 minutes. Then the skies will gradually become filled with more light, as the moon moves out of the path of the sun.

Many Gadsden schools will provide students opportunities to participate in the eclipse phenomena. Participation will vary from going outdoors to view the eclipse with official eclipse glasses to watching the live NASA eclipse broadcast. Teachers across the district have been working hard to align the learning experiences on the 21st to concepts taught in the classroom.

Student Check-Out

Any parent wishing to check their student out from school after lunch to experience the eclipse at another venue will be excused.

Classroom Learning Opportunities

Gadsden City Schools are committed to ensuring that our students to become scientifically literate and develop a deep understanding of scientific phenomenon. This is an excellent opportunity for students to make observations of the details they notice around them and hypothesize why the eclipse may cause those effects.

NASA has curated a strong collection of informational resources on the eclipse. We recommend accessing this site for eclipse questions you may have regarding safety, timing, resources and more. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/.

Safety First

Parents, be sure to discuss eye safety with your children regarding the Solar Eclipse. It only takes a short time for permanent eye damage to occur if looking at the sun during an eclipse without proper viewers.